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A sure sign that spring has arrived is the welcome return of cruise ships in Boston Harbor. This month marks the start of the 2005 cruise season at the Massachusetts Port Authority’s (Massport) Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in South Boston. 100 vessels including old favorites and new additions will carry more than 225,000 passengers through Boston this year.

This year, the cruise season extends from May through November and features some first-time itineraries and attractions. Fifteen cruise lines will serve the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, providing a mix of New England/Canada cruises, Bermuda cruises and Caribbean cruises.

“Whether embarking from Boston or visiting for the day, cruising to and from Boston continues to be a main attraction for travelers,” said Craig Coy, CEO Massport. “The Black Falcon Cruise Terminal is not only convenient, but it is also an important gateway to our great city and plays a vital role in our local economy.”

Norwegian Cruise Line, a Boston favorite will, for the 12th consecutive year, offer popular weekly Bermuda sailings aboard the Norwegian Majesty. The Norwegian Majesty will make weekly trips from Boston to Bermuda throughout the 26-week season.

An exciting port visit will take place in June, when Norwegian Cruise Line’s famed Pride of America visits Boston on a select port inaugural tour. The Pride of America will make her historical debut as the first U.S. flagged cruise vessel to be commissioned in nearly 50 years. With this registry status, she’ll offer exclusive itineraries and is scheduled to be home-ported in the Hawaiian Islands. The Pride of America will sail into Boston Harbor on Sunday, June 19th. The Port of Boston is the oldest working seaport in the United States.

This season, Royal Caribbean is expanding its service from Boston by offering turnaround cruises to the Caribbean on one of its newest ships, the Jewel of the Seas. Jewel of the Seas is scheduled to embark on six 10-day Caribbean/Bermuda cruises from Boston, earning the historic distinction of being the first vessel to offer regular sailings to the Caribbean from Boston.

Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line will offer summer and fall cruising along the North Atlantic coastline, stopping in New England and Canadian ports. Royal Caribbean’s newly stretched Enchantment of the Seas, featuring 200 new cabins and loads of amenities will make eight Boston calls, while Holland America’s grand Maasdam will make 13 Boston calls.

Holland America, a luxury cruise line known for its comfortable amenities, made Boston a homeport last year when it doubled its service at Cruiseport Boston. This year, Holland America offers a 35-day, round-trip transatlantic cruise from Boston to Rotterdam with stops along the scenic Arctic Circle including ports in Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and the North Sea before returning to Boston.

Several cruise lines are scheduled to make port of call visits this season including Cunard Line’s regal sisters, the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Mary 2. These elegant vessels will sail into Boston for a day’s visit on September 12th and October 6th respectively. This season will feature port of calls from Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Princess Cruises, Silversea, Saga Holidays, Carnival, Crystal Cruises, celebrity Cruises, P&O Cruises, Seabourn, Holiday Kreuzfahrten and Residensea .

Pat Moscaritolo, President & CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, praised Massport for its Cruiseport initiatives and called the cruise offerings “the sleeping giant of Boston's visitor industry,” and added “The spending generated for Boston's visitor economy by pre and post stays as well as port of call visits, will help the region's visitor industry rebound.”

In 2004, a total of 95 cruise ships and nearly 200,000 passengers called on the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal. Massport’s Black Falcon Cruise Terminal is located in South Boston’s lively seaport district and only minutes away from downtown Boston’s world famous historic sites, shops and restaurants. The Black Falcon Cruise Terminal is a ten-minute cab ride from Logan International Airport, making the airport/seaport connection in Boston unrivaled on the East Coast.